I have always tried to temper any darkness in my lyrics with some humor. However, after 9/11, I was pretty bummed. I started writing lyrics that were mercilessly bleak. The funny this is, the last thing I wanted to do was write a 9/11 record. And indeed, no mention of that conflict is to be found anywhere on the record. In retrospect, though, I think it is a 9/11 record, but written in universal, rather than event-specific terms. Some listeners thought it beautiful, others hated it with a ferocity I rarely witness. One woman told me after listening to the record that she was absolutely disgusted and thought I had serious problems, advising me to seek help!